International River Foundation

Not to be confused with International Rivers.
International River Foundation
Formation2003 (2003)
HeadquartersBrisbane, Australia
Websitewww.riverfoundation.org.au

The International River Foundation, sometimes stylised as the International RiverFoundation, is an Australian environmental organisation focused on global river restoration and protection.[1] It was co-founded in 2003 by Brisbane City Council, the Queensland Government, and the mining companies Thiess Pty Ltd and BHP Mitsubishi Alliance.[2]

Activities

International River Symposium

The International River Foundation hosts the International River Symposium conference (sometimes stylised as the "International Riversymposium") annually in Brisbane, Australia. The event is intended to promote knowledge exchange among global river practitioners.[3] The first International River Symposium was held in 1998 as part of the Brisbane Festival, prefiguring the founding of the International River Foundation.[4]

Brisbane Declaration

The 10th International Riversymposium and International Environmental Flows Conference was held in September 2007 and attended by over 750 delegates from more than 50 countries. The event resulted in a consensus document known as the Brisbane Declaration and Global Action Agenda, which is considered a significant landmark in setting international goals for environmental flows in freshwater-dependent ecosystems among scientists and water management practitioners.[5][6]

Thiess International River Prize

The International River Foundation awards the Thiess International River Prize (sometimes spelled "Riverprize") for excellence in river restoration and management. The prize is presented from a slate of finalists during the annual International River Symposium. First presented in 1999 prior to the founding of the International River Foundation, the award is considered by some to be the most prestigious honor in the field of river restoration.[7][1][8] The award comes with a cash prize of US$100,000 as of 2025.[9]

Year Recipient Principle waterway Locale
2025 Friends of the Chicago River[9] Chicago River Illinois, United States
2021 Africa Sand Dam Foundation Thwake River Kenya
2019 James River Association James River Virginia, United States
2017 San Antonio River Authority San Antonio River Texas, United States
2016 Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper Niagara River New York, United States
2015 Lake Eyre Basin Partnership Lake Eyre Basin Australia
2014 International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine River Rhine Europe
2012 Willamette River Initiative Willamette River Oregon, United States
2011 Charles River Watershed Association Charles River Massachusetts, United States
2010 Environment Agency and Thames River Restoration Trust River Thames United Kingdom
2009 Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority Lake Simcoe Ontario, Canada
2008 St. Johns River Water Management District St. Johns River Florida, United States
2007 International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River Danube River Europe
2006 Foreign Affairs Office of Chengdu Municipal Government Sha River China
2005 Communaite de Communes du Val de Drome Drome River France
2004 Siuslaw Institute Siuslaw River Basin Oregon, United States
2003 Alexander River Restoration Administration Nahal Alexander Israel
2002 Mekong River Commission Mekong River Southeast Asia
2001 Blackwood Basin Group Blackwood River Australia
2000 Grand River Conservation Authority Grand River Ontario, Canada
1999 Mersey Basin Campaign Mersey Basin United Kingdom

Asia River Prize

Year Recipient Principle waterway Locale
2018 Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission[10] Pasig River Philippines

Australasian River Prize

Year Recipient Principle waterway Locale
2018 Whangawehi Catchment Management Group[11] Whangawehi Stream New Zealand

Australian River Prize

Year Recipient Principle waterway
2015 Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority Murray River
2013 Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority Glenelg River
2012 Condamine Alliance Condamine River
2011 Sunshine Coast District Council Rivers of the Sunshine Coast
2010 Derwent Estuary Program Derwent Estuary
2009 Oxley Creek Catchment Association Oxley Creek
2006 Torbay Catchments Group Torbay Catchment
2005 Murray Wetlands Working Group Murray Wetlands
2005 Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee Bulimba Creek
2004 Great Lakes Council Wallis Lake
2003 Hunter Catchment Management Trust Hunter River
2002 Merri Creek Management Committee Merri Creek
2001 Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority Goulburn Broken Catchment

European River Prize

Year Recipient Principle waterway Locale
2022 Cumbria River Restoration Partnerships Programme[12] Rivers of the Lake District National Park United Kingdom
2016 Segura River Project[13] Segura River Spain
2014 Freiland Environmental Consulting Civil Engineers and Government of Styria[14] River Mur Austria
2013 International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine[15] River Rhine Europe

New Zealand River Prize

Year Recipient Principle waterway
2015 Aorere River Initiative[16] Aorere River

North American River Prize

Year Recipient Principle waterway Locale
2015 Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper[17] Buffalo River New York, United States

Twinning

The International River Foundation's Twinning programme encourages peer-to-peer learning by creating partnerships between river advocacy organisations in different countries. For example, the River Thames was twinned with the Ganges River in 2013.[18][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Dennison, Bill (24 March 2011). "International RiverFoundation". ian.umces.edu. University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Integration and Application Network. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  2. ^ "About Us". International River Foundation. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  3. ^ "26th International River Symposium 2025". Hydrobiology. Hydrobiology Pty Ltd. 12 September 2025. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  4. ^ "International River Symposium". International River Foundation. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  5. ^ Arthington, Angela H.; Bhaduri, Anik; Bunn, Stuart E.; Jackson, Sue E.; Tharme, Rebecca E.; Tickner, Dave; Young, Bill; Acreman, Mike; Baker, Natalie; Capon, Samantha; Horne, Avril C.; Kendy, Eloise; McClain, Michael E.; Poff, N. LeRoy; Richter, Brian D.; Ward, Selina (2 July 2018). "The Brisbane Declaration and Global Action Agenda on Environmental Flows (2018)". Frontiers in Environmental Science. 6 45. Bibcode:2018FrEnS...6...45A. doi:10.3389/fenvs.2018.00045. hdl:10072/381098.
  6. ^ "Brisbane Declaration". www.conservationgateway.org. The Nature Conservancy. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  7. ^ Tickell, Pamela (24 July 2025). "Cumbria river project is Thiess International awards finalist". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  8. ^ "River Prize". International River Foundation. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  9. ^ a b Dahlman, Steven (17 September 2025). "Friends of the Chicago River wins international award". Loop North News. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  10. ^ Ronda, Rainier Allan (19 October 2018). "Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission gets international award". Philstar.com. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  11. ^ "Australasian Award for Whangawehi Stream Project". Hawke's Bay Regional Council. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  12. ^ Capel, Michael (18 January 2023). "Cumbrian rivers project scoops prestigious European Riverprize". Water Magazine. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  13. ^ "Segura river in Spain wins European Riverprize". Water News Europe. 8 March 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  14. ^ "River Mur wins IRF European Riverprize 2014". www.icpdr.org. International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  15. ^ "Rhine river commission wins Europe's first River prize". www.dutchwatersector.com. Dutch Water Sector. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  16. ^ "Aorere Wins NZ RiverPrize". www.scoop.co.nz. Scoop News. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  17. ^ jmaloni (5 May 2015). "Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper wins first North American Riverprize". Niagara Frontier Publications. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  18. ^ Ryan, Melanie (Summer 2013). "Twinning". Environmental Education. 103: 13. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
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